My dream trip...

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bobnjulie

bobnjulie

Lead Service Attendant
Joined
Jun 7, 2013
Messages
393
Location
California
LOL.... I didn't realize it would be a bad dream! Oh well, whatcha gonna do? If frogs start dropping from the sky, I'm getting airline reservations!

I knew we were in trouble when our station opens at 10 and our bus was supposed to leave at 10:10. Our luck started with the way the reservation was made but Robert was great and finally sent us and our delayed bus on our way, hoping things would be straightened out by the time we hit SLO.

Luckily, our bus was on time and our tickets were there! Now the mxed bag... we had Amfleet 1 car on the Pacific Surfliner!!?? but we had an amazing coach attendant, Cathy. She was a dynamo. Long-term employee who was just amazing.

We made it to Los Angeles and walked over to Phillipes, at everyone's recommendation. My husband gave it two thumbs up. We got a red cap and got up to the platform around the time the train was coming in. After that, this trip has gone to pieces... none of which was Amtrak's fault.

First there was a chemical spill in Van Nuys, which delayed the Coast Starlight and connecting passengers, leaving us with a delayed 2+ hour start from LA. Then early this a.m.,somewhere near the Salton Sea, there was a track issue which caused an hour stoppage and then slow speed. With a great crew and conductor dealing with what they have to, they kept us informed. Unfortunately, we are again sitting hours (5+) delayed.

Wish I could say that I am upbeat but I am starting to think about researching plane connections between San Antonio and Atlanta.... or Houston and Atlanta... We were supposed to go to NO and then the Crescent but..........
 
If you're in a sleeper (I forgot your trip details), my advice is sit back and enjoy the room! If in coach, sit back and relax. As far as your connection in NO, remember the SL arrives in the evening and the Crescent departs in the morning, so there is little chance of missing the connection. Even if the SL arrives at (say) 5 am, you'll just have a shorter layover (a few hours) at the station, and no need of a hotel! If you find yourself running so late that a hotel does not make sense, and you can cancel (many have a 6 pm cutoff), call from the train to cancel. If you do not have a cell phone, at least one passenger on board will. Just ask, and most people will let you use their cellphone to call. (I know I have let other passengers use mine to call the hotel or their family!)
 
:( :hi: :At least ya'll had a good Breakfast @ Phillipe's, have Good Crew members that are keeping ya'll informed and arent Stranded @ a Damn Airport! As Dave said, go with the flow, I think youll like the rest of the Train Journey and for sure New Orleans will be an experience! Keep us Posted, if things get more messed up (as you said, not Amtrak's fault) Customer Relations will be very helpful when you call after the Trip in making ya'll whole as the lawyers say! I hope you dont have to Fly, that's a 4 Letter word when you're on a Train Trip! ;)
 
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Well, we decided to stay with our Sunset Limited. Our SCA is Brian, who is calm and there when you need him. Very nice on a stressful trip. Our server throughout the trip has been Gloria. Really like her personality. The cafe car attendant is a rock star named Merrill. Boy, is he funny. People were cranky and listening to his announcements put smiles on our face. Our first conductor out of LA was a female, I think, Missy? She had her hands full but was great about giving us updates.

So to continue the saga, our first crew hit work stopped somewhere in the middle of Arizona, after Maricopa but before Tuscan. It took 2 HOURS to get another crew here. This REALLY got people furious. We knew we were going to be late, the whole world knew we were going to be late and it took 2 hours to find us. I kept coming up with excuses for the other stuff... out of Amtrak's hands, etc, but this really irked.

The replacement conductor comes on, says "Add 6 hours to your arrival time." Last we heard from him. Not even when his crew hit work stoppage and we stopped someplace after Tucson... who knows. People were now really po'ed especially when the word was another crew was expected shortly. We'd heard that tale before.

God bless Amtrak because they got a patch crew together and the train going in about 20 minutes. They didn't say anything and were relieved by yet another crew - our regular crew- in El Paso.

(One of the jokes around the train was based on Clue.. What killed the Sunset Limited? The chemical spill in California someplace who knows where in the desert of Arizona by a rail.)

The conductor immediately got on the speaker and said he would be coming through and would be talking to anyone and that they were going to work hard to catch some time up. I slept.

When we were handed off to another crew, we'd made up some time. When we hit San Antonio. we disembarked and asked the conductor how long we were expected to be there since I had another crazy idea. When he said an hour would be safe, we called Yellow Cab. Got our driver Jose to drive us to the Alamo, we walked the perimeter, took some pictures and soaked it in, met Jose at the park and started to return to the train station. At one point, we were talking about the River Walk, and he pulled over and put his flashers on so my husband could hop out and take a picture. We made it back to the train with time to spare. It finally felt like our vacation had begun!

As a plus, the conductor saw us as he was walking past, asked us if we'd made it to the Alamo. We'd said yes and thanked him and he said it was the memories that count and that he hoped we'd be riding Amtrak again. A true gentleman and yes, we will be riding Amtrak again... very shortly!

The rest of the trip has been uneventful and we are expected to be about 4- 4.5 hours late. Not to shabby considering where we'd come from. Props to some of the standout staff for an outstanding effort and finally a lovely ride on a train. Next stop. NO, Here we come!
 
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So we made it to New ORLEANS 4+ hours late. We found a darling cab driver who stopped by Bourbon Street so that we could pop out and get a picture of me on Bourbon Street. A bucket list item completed! We slept in our expensive hotel for 2+ hours (no cancellation allowed) and got up and moving by 5:30. We had a horrid taxi driver who ripped up off because we wanted him to stop by Cafe du Monde before taking us to the train station. First he said it was closed, then he tried to take us out of the way and finally slammed us with a $10 bonus for allowing him to sit with the meter running while I ran in. $30 for a ride to the train station. The great thing is that I knew he was scum and when I was fussing inside the cashier was with me the whole way. Cafe du Monde rocks!!! Especially at 5:45 am.

We made it to the train station (although at one point I thought we might have to jump out of the cab) and were reunited in the Magnolia waiting room with our parolees of the Sunset Limited :p It was great seeing them again and was pleased that out of the chaos came alot of smiles and bonding. :) We even had 2 that were boarding the Crescent with us.

The Crescent... it was GREEN... green, green, green. It was also our first experience with the Viewliner roomette with the bath in the room. Definately had it's good and bad points but was very clean and much more comfortable for my husband who had the upper bunk. We were able to store our larger bag in the upper cubbie - thanks to other members who had thought it would be fine! We had Tony T for our attendant and a lovely woman in the dining car - no name tag. Overall, I would say everyone was professional....nice but I guess I enjoy some of our other attendants who had tons of personality.

We arrived in Philadelphia about 30 minutes ahead of time and were taken to the ClubAcela where we were able to store our bags - again thanks to other posters! It really is a beautiful area. We then had 4 hours to explore Philadelphia!

We utilized Acela150(?) suggestion about the subway system and found the Market-Frankford line, after wandering in circles a bit. It is an amazing system and completely wonderful for me with my mobility issues. We were able to use an elevator to get to the station and the attendants were so kind! 30th Street exit and elevator popped us right at the Liberty Bell and Independence Visitor Center. We saw the Bell and were able to get a wheelchair for me to go around to other sights. We did alot and had a great time!

We got back to South Station via the subway again and were escorted down the elevator to our Acela. It was wonderful but I must admit the best part for me was watching my husband watching our GPS as it hit 135! Up in Massachusetts, after a very slow start, it did hit 151! AWESOME! Great crew, good food...
 
:hi: :cool: Great to hear that things improved after NOL! That Type of Cabbie can be found in any Tourist City Unfortunately! As we say here on AU, One Adventure Down, another to be Planned! Looking forward to your Future Contributions to AU and Trip Planning and Reports! ;)
 
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If you were on the train I'm thinking of #2(21)...we passed you as you were headed east from Benson, AZ on Thursday, Aug 22. Listening to the scanner gave me a heads up about how late you were. I was on #1 headed to L.A.
 
Yes, that was us. I think we hit the second stop work right after that!

Sorry about the delay in continuing the report, but we started missing our sleep! :) t

We took the Green line from the financial district to the Prudential Center to catch our tour. The Boston subway was our greatest challenge! First, trying to find the green line entrance. We walked right past it, even with our GPS! We finally asked someone and he pointed it out to us. A big DUH since as soon as we turned around we could see the large sign. Purchasing the cards was again confusing but we through money at it and made it in! It was in the middle of morning rush and there was quite a crowd but finally a green line car came. I took the lead since I've used the NYC subway at rush hour and we got on board. Once we actually boarded, we could see the map. It then dawned on me that there were 5 lines and the operator was saying a station to which was not the end of the line we wanted to be on. My husband thought we were on the right one but just to be safe rather than sorry, we got off at the stop before everything splits and waited to the train that said E.

We got on the right subway and made it to our destination - with a bit of wandering about the the GPS! We were pleased with the Boston Duck Tour. We were a bit disappointed that it only circled the water but it was a nice way to get an overview of the city.

After we disembarked, we hit the grocery store right at the Duck stop and grabbed some fruit, grabbed a cab, got our bags and made it to South Station with only about 30 minutes to spare before boarding. We did the chicken thing - power shopping for souvenirs and lunch on the run - before boading the Lake Shore Limited to Chicago and our first overnight adventure in coach!
 
I was really worried about this segment since it was in coach but at the end of it all, I was happy to have been in coach. It started off with an amazing coach attendant, Barbara. She was funny, informative and always on the run. That being said, one of her announcements not far into the trip was a telling of things to come. In essence, "Please flush the toilet after you use it."

My husband and I nested in, but the coach car was freezing and was kept that way. I'd bought a sweatshirt in Boston on my power shopping at 30th Street Station but I gave that to my husband and grabbed my cashmere sweater. Other folks - especially girls wearing itty bitty shorts- were a lot less unfortunate. One of my initial concerns was of an elderly lady who was randomly talking to people in Spanish. In the beginning it was irksome. It was only at the Albany-Renssler stop where I found out the woman had a disability. That changed the atmosphere and we all became a supportive group to the daughter. I initially got off and then jumped back on to let my husband look for food and film the trains becoming one. I even got to do yoga in the center with another passenger!

Once we left the Albany station, we shared some of our extra bounty, like the blanket from the comfort kit (which was not sold aboard!) to our colder neighbors. I had purchased a yard of super soft fabric and that was shared with my husband. I will say that even though the eye mask was nice, I could not have slept at all without the earplugs. I slept for about 5 hours and then switched seats with my husband, With the blow up pillow supporting the back, our extra pillows and faux blanket that we bring for the roomette, the eye mask and ear plugs from the comfort kit, my husband was able to get some sack time.

In response to gripes about nasty toilets, I will say that ours were fine when Barbara was awake. I myself often flushed or cleaned up after others but when I woke up at 3:30 to use one, someone had put about a roll of tp in the toilet. I attempted to flush a couple of times to see if it would help, but at that point, it didn't help. From what I heard, people kept using it, even when it was clear it didn't flush. When Barbara woke up, it was declared closed. The only thing I blame myself for is in not notifying someone about the situation before it got completely out of control but I wasn't sure if I was supposed to. Who?

When we made it to Chicago, we were able to go with our new friend and her mother with the same redcap to the Metropolitan Lounge. There we stayed with the mother while the daughter was able to check in and deal with their bags. I scouted out the area and when the daughter came, I gave her a quick pointed tour of what the lounge had and hugged them good bye and good luck. Lovely people. I wish them well.

We then went out on our crazy adventure! We'd asked the gentleman in the lounge how to get to the water taxi. After a relatively short walk (in 90 degree weather!), we found the stairs. I sent my husband ahead to make sure we could buy the tickets at the bottom of the stairs. Luckily we were able to and I went down after him.

The ride on the water taxi was absolutely incredible! I was taking pictures left and right and spinning around! A perfect way to get another viewpoint on the city. We disembarked at Michigan Avenue and stumbled into the Billy Goat! A bonus sighting! With our handy GPS and some ogling around, we found the stairs and made it up to Michigan Avenue and finally to our lunch destination, Pizzeria Uno! Super yummy and since it was early, really quick!

Out the door we go and using another members advice, started looking for the pink line and the Randolph/Wabash Avenue subway line. Luckily for me - and maybe not so for my husband- we happened past Buy Buy Chicago and again did some power souviner shopping. GPS led us to our subway line and I made it to the top! With the help of a lovely employee, we were able to purchase our tickets and punch another thing off my bucket list: A ride on the elevated El!

We got off at Quincy and found our way back to Union Station and the metropolitian lounge. After the heat outside, it was wonderful to grab a seat in the air conditioning and get a cold drink. After the Empire Builder and the Zephyr boarded, it was finally our turn! We gathered our luggage and waited to the red cap to take us to the Sunset Limited!
 
Oops! too many trains and too little sleeped Southwest Chief! to Los Angeles:

So our dream trip kept rolling and we kept getting really blessed with amazing crews and this one was no exception! Jose was the LSA and we were blessed to have Julio for our attendant. He was amazing. At the very beginning of the trip, he went around to every room and spent time talking. He came in, gave us an overview on the trip, times for breakfast and was generally supportive in every way. I couldn't figure out how to open the door to the bathroom on the upper level (since stairs are difficult, it was a priority!) and he took the time to show me it's tricks! We had an early dinner and sacked out hard but since we'd been told that the KC station was worth seeing, we managed to roust ourselves out of our comfy roomette and walk and see it. It truly was worth the effort. Amazing beautiful! We were grateful for the heads up but were really glad to get back to our roomette.

The next morning, all was proceeding as normal, when the train slowed and came to a stop with a bump. The conductor lets us know shortly that was truck had tried to beat the train - and made it - but they had to walk the train to make sure all was right. Lucky break for the train since it was fine.

My husband and I agree that this segment was absolutely beautiful. So grateful we did this. We did get off at most of the smoke stops for stretches and did some shopping at the Albuquerque station but it was a scenary which really took our breath away.

We ended up being about 30 minutes behind schedule and got into LA and swept away to the Traxx Lounge for about 30 minutes or so before our redcap collected us for our final segment... the Coast Starlight.
 
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Good report and great trip so far. But I want to correct a small (technical) error with your last 2 words.

The Sunset Limited does not go to/from Chicago. You boarded the Texas Eagle in Chicago. And although both trains are combined at San Antonio, the Texas Eagle runs to LA 3 days a week!

EDIT: I'm confused! Did you take the Texas Eagle/Sunset Limited to LA or the Southwest Chief? The Eagle does not go anywhere near KC, but the Southwest Chief does!
 
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Oops! Even my husband didn't catch that error. :( Edited to correct the confusion! We'd been on the Sunset Limited away from Los Angeles and the Southwest Chief coming into Los Angeles!.

The Coast Starlight was our last train to take us home. Although our attendendant didn't introduce himself since he had his hands full, he certainly took care of us! I finally figured out his name was Bobby but he was getting me out and about almost before we left Los Angeles. We were in the #2 in his car and he saw me typing on my computer. I actually was emailing Amtrak about the wonderful crews we'd had and Bobby was like, "What are you doing sitting here? Go to the Parlour Car! Bigger tables, better scenary!" We finally relocated to the Parlour Car and enjoyed meeting a wonderful man and having an amazing conversation. It was so nice that when we moved to our table for lunch in the Parlour Car, we invited him to join us. Such a lovely way to pass the time and watch the world go by. Chip was great in the Parlour Car.

What more can be added about the views and the wine and cheese tasting? Lovely.

The one part I was very excited about was leaving SLO and going around the horseshoe curves. It did not disappoint.

It was very sad when we got off in Salinas but it had been an incredible 8 days.

The longest delay was our 3 segment on the Sunset Limted.

I would say the worst crew was on the Crescent and they were pretty good, if not exactly passionate about what they were doing and by the end, I think that we finally connected with a couple of our attendants.

The worst smells (and where I used my small Febreeze bottle) was the coach toilet and that was only after we, the passengers, messed it up.

I think the only thing my husband would skip would be the Sunset Limited since we mostly saw the desert!

The food was great! My top fav was the mousse.... mmmmm.

Overall, I would say that 99% of Amtrak employee we encountered were doing their best to serve us and make our trip memorable - in a positive way.

Our top unexpected experience was San Antonio and being able to see The Alamo.

The one place I thought I would love but will never go back to is New Orleans. Just a bit too shady for me. I loved Cafe du Monde but for the most part... eh.

The bus had no leg room but had a great driver!

The toughest part of the trip? Working through over 1500 pictures! :) I'll be working on them and getting them up on flicker and will hopefully have a link to anyone who wants to peep at them.
 
What a great report and so glad to hear you two had a great trip! I'm impressed at the way you were able to work through various public transit systems. Purchasing tickets can feel daunting at some of them as you feel like you're holding the regulars up. You guys did fantastic. I think public transit is a great way to see a city but like you when available I usually take a water tour via Duck or other company. A different perspective... I like the Kansas City station too and I always go inside when I roll through there.

Looking forward to your photos!
 
Really enjoyed your trip report. Brings back good memories of our trips out West. Yes, we were ripped by a NO cab driver as well. :eek: . Philadelphia is becoming one our favorite cities to visit. Love the art museum and the colonial period history downtown. You are a "brave" couple to go coach all the way on the Lake Shore :p . Yes, the river tours in Chicago are a must for visitors. Glad you had a nice trip.
 
Thanks everyone! It really was an amazing adventure. I did love that we were able to use all the public subways. I REALLY loved the water taxi. What was fun was having a couple of Amtrak employees drool over our itinerary! This trip really showed us that we can do multiple segments and that coach is not scary. I learned the importance of keeping to my routine and getting sleep in the night. I was THRILLED I never had to activate Plan B.... and really grateful I'd purchased a month of wifi and a portable hot spot so that I was able to plot Plan B's. I was also EXTREMELY grateful to this community's advice both with my plotting beforehand - getting those details that are so important to someone who is mobility challenged - and during...

One of the things that is mentioned but was truly the highlight of our trip was our interaction with other passengers. I think that since I work hr it gets very tiring for me to hear everyone's story but it's also a privilege. Since we were able to retreat to our roomette most of the time, it was truly lovely to be able to have connections with other passengers. With certain people, it was a privilege to become - however briefly - a part of their lives. I really think that is the true intangible thing that you get with train travel... the unexpected connections. We were able to experience human kindness.
 
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